General Tso's Chicken
General Tso's chicken is crisp battered chicken tossed in a glossy, sweet-sour sauce with ginger, garlic and dried chile. Dark meat stays juicy through frying, and a thin egg and cornstarch coating gives a crust that holds up under the sauce. The dish probably owes more to American restaurant kitchens than to any Hunan general, and shallow-frying works nearly as well as a deep fryer.
Instructions
Cut the chicken into cubes about 2 cm (¾ inch) across.
Beat the egg with the light soy sauce and seasoning in a bowl. Add the chicken and stir in the cornstarch until the egg mixture turns thick and clings to the meat.
In a second bowl, mix the dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, sugar, stock or water, ginger, garlic and the optional cornstarch. Stir out any lumps and set the sauce aside.
Heat the oil in a wok. For deep frying, bring it to 180°C (350°F).
Fry the battered chicken a few pieces at a time. When deep frying, they are ready in about 3 minutes, once crisp. When shallow-frying, cook until the chicken is done through and the batter is golden. Drain off excess oil.
Empty the wok and wipe it clean. Return 2 tbsp of oil to it and set it back over the heat.
Fry the spring onions and chile peppers for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir fry until it browns.
Stir the sauce again and pour it into the wok. Once it boils, cook for about 1 minute until it thickens, which depends partly on how much cornstarch you used. Serve at once.
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